In recognition of the 52nd anniversary of civil rights activist Rosa Parks’ refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus on December 1, 1955, Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke recently gained her Board of Supervisor colleagues support to proclaim Saturday, December 1 as “Rosa Parks Human Rights Day” in an effort to reaffirm the County’s commitment to practicing tolerance and promoting diversity.

“Her courageous stand against segregation was a monumental turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, encouraging others to stand up against racial inequality, bigotry and intolerance,” Burke states in her motion to be introduced to the Board of Supervisors at Tuesday’s meeting. “While great strides have been made since the Civil Rights Movement, many Americans still face discrimination and intolerance today.”

In Los Angeles County, the number of hate crimes has risen nationally, as has black and Latino gang violence. To appropriately honor Rosa Parks requires a rededication on the part of Los Angeles County residents to stay steadfast in confronting discrimination on the basis of race, gender or disability. “A Rosa Parks Human Rights Day would answer Park’s call for eternal vigilance against bigotry and intolerance in favor of human rights and social justice,” Burke said.

To further commemorate Parks’ contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, a Los Angeles County building will be renamed in her honor.